It’s been a great month for fourth year StFX human nutrition student Shelby Kennedy-Goncalves of Calgary, AB, who has been honoured with both an industry award and a $1,000 national bursary from her profession.

Ms. Kennedy-Goncalves is the Aramark Gold Plate winner for the student branch of the StFX Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (CAFP), awarded for her commitment to the food service industry, the StFX CAFP student branch and the local community, the Northumberland Professional Branch of CAFP has announced.

Ms. Kennedy-Goncalves is also this year’s winner of the Don McPhie $1,000 bursary, awarded to a CAFP student member who best represents the qualities that Don McPhie brought to the association and industry.

As the Gold Plate winner, Ms. Kennedy-Goncalves will compete with university CAFP branch winners from across Canada for the National Gold Plate Award, which will be announced at the student awards luncheon at the National CAFP Conference this May in Vancouver, BC. As part of its commitment to future leaders, Aramark provides financial support to ensure that student branch award winners are able to participate in the annual CAFP national conference, as well as a $400 cash award to be used by the student to further his/her education.

“I am thrilled to receive this award and look forward to networking with colleagues at the CAFP national conference,” says Ms. Kennedy-Goncalves.

As a Gold Plate branch recipient, Ms. Kennedy-Goncalves also qualifies to apply for the Aramark Accelerate to Leadership Program (A2L). The A2L program equips university graduates with the tools to navigate the many diverse areas of business at Aramark. Students are given the opportunity to enrich and nourish lives in the communities that Aramark serves through hands-on meaningful management experiences. The one-year, paid position affords robust learning and career readiness training.

NATIONAL BURSARY

CAFP also administers several national bursaries to encourage students to develop themselves in the culinary, supervisory, hospitality, managerial, and dietetic programs.

Ms. Kennedy-Goncalves is this year’s winner of the Don McPhie bursary, awarded to a CAFP student member who best represents the qualities that Don McPhie brought to the association and industry. The recipient must be a well-rounded student, who demonstrates a strong commitment to the association and to their chosen field and have demonstrated effort to strengthen their student branch, show progressive experience and growth within the industry as well as community involvement.